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DIRECTING AS A FUNCTION OF MGT

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15 views4 pages

DIRECTING AS A FUNCTION OF MGT

Lecturer's notes provided

Uploaded by

johnkanyi590
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DIRECTING

 Directing means giving instructions to the employees and guiding, counseling,


motivating and leading them to achieve organisational goals.
 From top executive to supervisor performs the function of directing and it takes
place accordingly wherever superior – subordinate relations exist.
 Directing is a continuous process initiated at top level and flows to the bottom
through organisational hierarchy.
 The true success of direction depends upon the proper motivation of workers and
supervision of their efforts.
 It requires effective communication system and competent leadership.

Meaning of Direction

 Direction is the process of activating human resources to achieve the objective of


the business.
 It is concerned with initiating, mobilizing and integrating human efforts to achieve
the goals of the enterprise.
 Recruitment of competent and talented staff is not sufficient unless they are
motivated and their efforts are supervised, directed and controlled. In the
absence of effective direction the enterprise will become inactive, inefficient and
dull.
Definitions of Direction

According to Earnest Dale,


Directing is telling people what to do and seeing that they do it to the best of their ability.

Joseph L. Masside
Directing concerns the total manner in which a manager influences the subordinates. It
is the final action of a manager in getting others to act after all preparations have been
done.

Harold Koontz and Cyril O‘Donnel,


―Direction is a complex function that includes all those activities, which are
designed to encourage a subordinate to work effectively and efficiently.

NATURE OF DIRECTION

1.Pervasive (spread all over) Function


 Directing is required at all levels of organization.
 Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates.
 It is performed in the context of superior-subordinate relationship and every
manager in the organisation performs his duties both as a superior and a
subordinate.
2. Continuous Activity
 Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous throughout the life of
organization.
 A manager needs to give orders to his subordinates, motivates them, leads them
and guides them on continuous basis.
3.Human Factor
 Directing function is related to subordinates and therefore it is related to human
factor.
 Since human factor is complex and behavior is unpredictable, direction function
becomes important.
4.Creative Activity
 Direction function helps in converting plans into performance.
 Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources are
meaningless.
Executive Function
 Direction function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels
throughout the working of an enterprise; a subordinate receives instructions from
his superior only.

IMPORTANCE OF DIRECTION

1.It Initiates Actions


 It is the starting point of the work performance of subordinates.
 It is from this function the action takes place, subordinates understand their jobs
and do according to the instructions laid.
 Whatever are plans laid, can be implemented only once the actual work starts.
 It is there that direction becomes beneficial.

2. It Ingrates Employee Efforts


 Through direction, the superiors are able to guide, inspire and instruct the
subordinates to work.
 For this, efforts of every individual towards accomplishment of goals are required.
 It is through direction the efforts of every department can be related and
integrated with others.
 This can be done through persuasive leadership and effective communication.
Integration of efforts brings effectiveness and stability in a concern.

3. Means of Motivation
 Helps in achievement of goals.
 A manager makes use of the element of motivation here to improve the
performances of subordinates.
 This can be done by providing incentives or compensation, whether monetary or
non - monetary, which serves as a ―Morale booster‖ to the subordinates.
 Motivation is also helpful for the subordinates to give the best of their abilities
which ultimately helps in growth.
4. It Provides Stability
 Stability and balance in concern becomes very important for long term sun
survival in the market.
 This can be brought upon by the managers with the help of four tools or elements
of direction function - judicious blend of persuasive leadership, effective
communication, strict supervision and efficient motivation.
 Stability is very important since that is an index of growth of an enterprise.
 Therefore a manager can use of all the four traits in him so that performance
standards can be maintained.

5. Coping up with the changes


 It is a human behavior that human beings show resistance to change.
 Adaptability with changing environment helps in sustaining planned growth and
becoming a market leader.
 It is directing function which is of use to meet with changes in environment, both
internal as external. Effective communication helps in coping up with the
changes.
 It is the role of manager here to communicate the nature and contents of
changes very clearly to the subordinates.
 This helps in clarifications, easy adaption‘s and smooth running of an enterprise

6. Efficient Utilization of Resources

 Direction finance helps in clarifying the role of every subordinate towards his
work.
 The resources can be utilized properly only when less of wastages, duplication of
efforts, overlapping of performances, etc. don‘t take place.
 Through direction, the role of subordinates become clear as manager makes use
of his supervisory, the guidance, the instructions and motivation skill to inspire
the subordinates.
 This helps in maximum possible utilization of resources of men, machine,
materials and money which helps in reducing costs and increasing profits.

ELEMENTS OF DIRECTION

1. Supervision
 Supervision implies expert overseeing of subordinates -at work in order to guide
and regulate their efforts.
 Every manager has to supervise the work of his subordinates to see that they do
their work as desired.
 Supervision is one important element of the process of directing. But supervision
is particularly important at the operating level of management.
 The supervisor is in direct personal contact with the workers and he acts as the
link between workers and management.
 He communicates the policies, plans and orders of management to the workers.
He also brings workers' grievances, suggestions and appeals to the notice of
management.
 Effective supervision is essential for the accomplishment of desired goals.
 The purpose of supervision is to ensure that subordinates perform their tasks
according to prescribed procedures and as efficiently as possible.

2. Communication

 Communication involves exchange of ideas and information in order to create


mutual understanding.
 It is a sys thematic process of telling, listening and understanding.
 A Manager has to explain the plans and orders to his subordinates and to
understand their problems.
 He must develop a sound two-way communication system so as to be always in
touch with his subordinates. Sound communication fosters mutual understanding
and coordination among different units of the organisation.

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